50 RAILROAD REPORT ROUTE WEST OF CASCADE RANGE. 



branch of the Coast Fork of the Willamette to a little meadow, elevated 863 feet above the sea. 

 This meadow is also the source of a small tributary of the Umpqua river, called Pass creek. 

 The railroad would follow the course of this stream through the Calapooya mountains. Several 

 short bridges would be required, with a little cutting through earth, and, for a few feet, through 

 a hard kind of sandstone. No sharp curves would be necessary. The maximum grade would 

 be sixty-seven feet per mile, for 4.9 miles. 



To cross the divide between Pass and Elk creeks, an earth cut of forty feet at the summit, 

 with an ascending grade rendered by side location eighty-seven feet per mile for 8.8 miles, 

 and a descending grade of 211 feet per mile for 0.9 of a mile, would be requisite. By winding, 

 the last grade would be reduced to 173 feet per mile, for 1.1 miles. 



Elk creek would be crossed by a bridge about forty feet in length. The line would then 

 follow the eastern bank of a small tributary for 3.7 miles. From this point an ascending grade, 

 rendered, by location upon the eastern side of the valley, about 186 feet per mile for four miles, 

 would conduct to the summit of Long s hills, where an earth cut of forty feet would be advisable. 

 The descent might be made by winding towards the east for about three miles, with a grade of 

 about 214 feet per mile, but I have no doubt that a little examination would show a much 

 better pass through this line of hills. Having reached the valley at the southern base of the 

 ridge, the railroad would turn towards the west, and after striking the trail of my party, would 

 follow it to the North Umpqua river near Winchester. A bridge about twenty feet in length 

 over a small creek would be necessary on the way. The total increase of distance over that of 

 the travelled road, produced by the above location, would be about 3.3 miles. 



The North Umpqua river is about eighty feet in width, and a bridge at least one hundred 

 feet in length would be required. The current is rapid, and the bottom rocky. The stream 

 is unfordable and bordered by low bluffs. 



From Winchester the railroad could be located upon the surveyed route to Canonville, except 

 that it would avoid the high ridge near Eoseburg, by following the South Umpqua river. I was 

 informed that this could be done without difficulty, with an increase of distance of about nine 

 miles. 



Although no very serious obstacle exists on this route through the Umpqua valley, still some 

 expensive work and heavy grades would be required ; and, before a railroad should be actually 

 located, the route by Pass creek to Elk creek, and down that to Umpqua river, and then up the 

 river to the vicinity of Canonville, should be examined. It is probable that very easy grades 

 might be thus obtained, although the distance would be increased, approximately, forty miles. 



Canonville is situated at the northern base of the Umpqua mountains. This range is a 

 formidable obstacle to the road. The route surveyed through it follows the Umpqua canon. 

 Near the summit of the divide, elevated 1,963 feet above the sea level, two streams head, one of 

 which flows into Cow creek, and the other into the South Umpqua. The cailon is very narrow, 

 its sides are precipitous and from one to two thousand feet in height, and heavy cutting, or 

 short tunneling, through earth and talcose slate, would be required to obtain practicable curves. 

 In ascending, the grade would be 207 feet per mile for seven miles, and in descending 192 feet 

 per mile for two miles. The latter, however, could be considerably reduced by side location. 

 Numerous short bridges across the stream would be necessary in reaching the summit from the 

 north. 



It is probable that a better railroad route through these mountains would be found by fol 

 lowing Cow creek canon. This stream rises south of the range, and, after making a great 



